


Feverish

by SaraJaye



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Fainting, Growing feelings, Holding Hands, Pre-Relationship, Sick Lance (Voltron), Sickfic, Worried Allura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 11:32:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15795651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: It's not the first time a Paladin has been sick on her watch, and it's not even a dangerous illness. But for some reason, Allura can't bring herself to leave his side.





	Feverish

She doesn't give it too much thought when he doesn't greet her with his usual air-kiss and wink that morning, but she does notice he's quieter than usual. He picks at his food, which would probably make Hunk insecure if the others weren't digging in heartily. More than once, she catches him stifling a cough, and at one point he would have fallen asleep on his plate if Shiro hadn't poked him back awake.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired this morning," he protests when the others ask if he's okay. "I'll just beat Keith a few times on the training deck and I'll be good as new!" Allura's amazed he can even hold his weapon, much less walk to the deck, and everyone's pleas for him to go get some rest fall on deaf ears.

Less than halfway through his first match with Keith, Lance fails to dodge an easy hit before he stumbles forward and collapses. Without even thinking, Allura sprints to his side and catches him before he lands. Pidge and Hunk panic, of course, Shiro looks guilty, and Keith is apologizing over and over again. Despite her own shock, Allura manages to keep a cool head as she drapes one of Lance's arms over her shoulders and the other across Keith's.

"We'll get him to Coran." He feels much too warm, and her concern's rapidly growing into outright worry as they carry him to the medical bay. Behind her, Shiro sighs.

"I should have kept a closer eye on him last night. I had a feeling he was too tired after that battle, if I'd known he was getting sick I'd have made him stay in bed," he murmurs. Allura wonders how any of them could have missed it, really, Lance is normally so full of energy after a good fight.

"I'm sure whatever it is, Coran will have him back on his feet in a few quadrants," she offers, praying she's right.

 

It's an Earth cold, according to Coran, and they're lucky they brought him in so quickly. But this does little to ease Allura's worries, now a tight feeling spread across her chest. Lance burns with fever, he's still unconscious, and according to Pidge colds can become so much worse if the patient is unlucky.

"Fortunately, Altean medicine's top-notch when it comes to preventing deadly diseases!" Coran says cheerfully. "He should be up and about by tomorrow if all goes well!" And while Allura knows this is true, seeing the usually energetic Lance this weak makes her heart squeeze uncomfortably.

"I'll stay by his side," she finds herself saying before anyone else can speak. "Coran, you keep an eye out for the enemy. Paladins, if we're attacked, you'll have to drive them back without forming Voltron."

"We can handle it," Shiro says. "If Lance wakes up, tell him we all hope he gets better soon." The others nod, following Coran out of the medical bay. Allura sits down beside Lance's cot, and after a moment's pause, takes his hand. According to the stories the paladins have told, this can help when a person is feeling ill. _It can't cure anything, but it makes you feel better,_ Hunk had said.

She hopes with all her heart that this will aid Lance's recovery, even if by just a little.

 

Roughly one varga later, his eyes flutter open and he groans softly. The damp cloth on his head has gone warm, and his hand is still too warm for her liking. Allura looks down at him, trying to appear calmer than she's felt since this morning.

"How are you feeling?" He blinks up at her, a dopey smile crossing his face.

"Did I die or somethin'? Feels like someone's holding my hand and smiling..." He coughs sharply, groans again as he tries to sit up. "W-water..." She finds the bottle Keith left for them earlier and helps him bring it to his lips.

"Slowly, now." He takes a few sips, and she wets another cloth to wipe down his face. Lance sighs with relief, though he still looks confused.

"Why're you here with me? I mean not that I _mind_ or anything," he adds quickly. His voice is weak, even though he's making the effort to talk as easily as he always does. "Just that you fly the castleship and all, thought you'd wanna be keeping an eye out, making wormholes, stuff like that."

"Well..." Honestly, she still can't quite figure it out herself While she cares for Lance as one of the Paladins and appreciates his hard work, his flirtatious comments and silly behavior can be quite trying at times. She's never taken his pickup lines seriously, and she's never been one to play favorites. Every Paladin is important, each has their role to play.

It's not even as though this is the first time a Paladin has been sick. It wasn't long ago that Pidge had been laid up with a virus, a potentially dangerous one that had been known to kill people before and kept her abed for nearly a movement. She'd been _worried,_ of course, but not enough to abandon her position at the front to sit by her side.

Lance sneezes, followed by a coughing fit, snapping Allura out of her self-analyzing trance. She rubs his back, helps him drink some more water, and eases him back against the pillows.

"It doesn't matter why," she finally says. "I trust the others to handle everything. Right now, I don't feel as if I can leave you."

Normally, she would expect a silly comment about her being an angel of mercy, or how he "scored" a pretty nurse. But instead she's met with a look of soft disbelief, followed by a weak, grateful smile.

"Thanks."

She wets another cloth and places it over his forehead. He's not as feverish as he was before, but he's still too warm.

"If you're hungry, I can have Hunk bring you something," she offers. Lance shakes his head.

"Not yet..." He yawns. "Okay if I sleep a little while more?"

Allura smiles, taking his hand again.

"Of course."

He smiles again, closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep. He looks more peaceful than he did earlier, and his hand is starting to cool down. He'll be better soon, and when he is, she'll still be right by his side.


End file.
